Howdy 
I've been a touch uninspired with the latest batch of Panini basketball releases (the oxymoronic duo of Innovation & Intrigue spring to mind), but with a box of NT now pushing the $800 mark - too rich for me to gamble on - I too decided to have a go at making one of my own!
So here's the end result of a little project (though hardly a novel undertaking) that's kept me occupied for the last couple of weeks; really just for a bit of fun and something refreshingly different to my usual mindless box breaks
Based on my observations of the product, I set a few simple parameters to follow:
- the total spend shouldn't exceed the current going market rate of a single box of NT (~US$700-795)
- the box contents should be representative of the typical manufacturer factory pack-out (meaning nothing crazy like 9 straight RPA's hehe); that being:
1-2 Commons
4 Autographs (with at least 1 veteran & 1 rookie)
3-4 Game Used
1 Kobe Anthology NNO Header
1-2 Printing Plates
- all cards must be purchased on the open market using only funds from the allocated budget... so no trades or freebies!
- lastly, and this really goes without saying, the build-a-box must be KICK-ASS compared to the average NT box break! LOL
With up to $795 to play with, there was a multitude of different paths I could follow...
Should I load it with as many top rookies or superstars as the guidelines permit?
Will I focus on HOF-only cards?
Maybe even put together a player or team specific box (eg. Kobe/Durant, Bulls/Lakers?
Perhaps include just low #'d parallels (/1, /3, /5)?
Curious yet?
Ooh... she's a fatty!
Here's what I ended up with - from top to bottom (US$ prices paid in parenthesis)
*Sorry, but for uniformities sake I'm using the auction pics as some cards are still in transit... international shipping to AUS can take ages and I wanted to share the results while NT is still a relevant product (thanks Panini...)! Hahaha
Ray Allen Base Common /99 ($2.25)
Ryan Anderson Gold Base Common /10 ($1.04)
Mark Aguirre Champions Signature Gold Proof Auto /45 ($5.99)
Orlando Johnson RC Auto /99 ($7.75)
Kim English RC Auto /99 ($7.75)
Cedric Maxwell Notable Nicknames "Cornbread" /99 ($14.99)
Moses Malone Colossal Prime Patch /25 ($26.57)
No sticker autos FTW! I personally don't mind these for my collection, but as you can see that may have been the most (deliberately) mediocre assembly of cards from this product ever, but I needed to conserve my funds...
My objective was to make this DIY box of NT special; and decided to go with what - according to personal & popular opinion - is the coolest/most hyped aspect of this years release: the NBA LOGOMAN!
Leandro Barbosa NBA Logoman 1/4 ($132.50)
Next, how do you top a Logoman? With Logo...MEN!
Danny Granger/Darren Collison NBA Logoman Combos 3/5 ($325)
And what's even better than dual Logomen?
Um...even more Logomen?!!
Thaddeus Young/Elton Brand NBA Logoman Combos 1/5 ($257)
Kobe Anthology Header ($-, cmon who'd actually pay for one of these?)
And just the one printing plate for this box
James Harden 12-13 National Treasures Colossal NBA Logoman Signatures Cyan Plate 1/1 ($21.05)
Perhaps I splurged a little on the plate, but it's one that I HAD to have!
There you have it - my personally hand-collated box of 12-13 National Treasures Basketball - resulting in a grand total spend of:
US$803.89 (blowing out the budget by a whopping $8.89!)
Based on previous sales history, with a bit of luck & much more patience I could've possibly saved around $10-15 off some of the autographs but thankfully everything else pretty much seemed to fall within range of my lowest final sale price estimates.
Unfortunately (given my location) cumulative international shipping was over 20% more than what it would cost to deliver a sealed box of NT here via UPS
Overall it was a fun & enjoyable exercise (may attempt the same for Flawless/Immaculate) and although big compromises to the player selection had to be made due to budget limitations, I feel there are still some solid names there. Anyway, I'm pleased with accumulating a quintuplet of game worn J. Dubya's for what is essentially the asking price of a single box of NT All cards are PC btw...
Thoughts/comments on how you would've gone about completing this challenge are always welcome & appreciated! Thanks for the look
I've been a touch uninspired with the latest batch of Panini basketball releases (the oxymoronic duo of Innovation & Intrigue spring to mind), but with a box of NT now pushing the $800 mark - too rich for me to gamble on - I too decided to have a go at making one of my own!So here's the end result of a little project (though hardly a novel undertaking) that's kept me occupied for the last couple of weeks; really just for a bit of fun and something refreshingly different to my usual mindless box breaks
Based on my observations of the product, I set a few simple parameters to follow:
- the total spend shouldn't exceed the current going market rate of a single box of NT (~US$700-795)
- the box contents should be representative of the typical manufacturer factory pack-out (meaning nothing crazy like 9 straight RPA's hehe); that being:
1-2 Commons
4 Autographs (with at least 1 veteran & 1 rookie)
3-4 Game Used
1 Kobe Anthology NNO Header
1-2 Printing Plates
- all cards must be purchased on the open market using only funds from the allocated budget... so no trades or freebies!
- lastly, and this really goes without saying, the build-a-box must be KICK-ASS compared to the average NT box break! LOL
With up to $795 to play with, there was a multitude of different paths I could follow...
Should I load it with as many top rookies or superstars as the guidelines permit?
Will I focus on HOF-only cards?
Maybe even put together a player or team specific box (eg. Kobe/Durant, Bulls/Lakers?
Perhaps include just low #'d parallels (/1, /3, /5)?
Curious yet?
Ooh... she's a fatty!
Here's what I ended up with - from top to bottom (US$ prices paid in parenthesis)
*Sorry, but for uniformities sake I'm using the auction pics as some cards are still in transit... international shipping to AUS can take ages and I wanted to share the results while NT is still a relevant product (thanks Panini...
)! HahahaRay Allen Base Common /99 ($2.25)
Ryan Anderson Gold Base Common /10 ($1.04)
Mark Aguirre Champions Signature Gold Proof Auto /45 ($5.99)
Orlando Johnson RC Auto /99 ($7.75)
Kim English RC Auto /99 ($7.75)
Cedric Maxwell Notable Nicknames "Cornbread" /99 ($14.99)
Moses Malone Colossal Prime Patch /25 ($26.57)
No sticker autos FTW! I personally don't mind these for my collection, but as you can see that may have been the most (deliberately) mediocre assembly of cards from this product ever, but I needed to conserve my funds...
My objective was to make this DIY box of NT special; and decided to go with what - according to personal & popular opinion - is the coolest/most hyped aspect of this years release: the NBA LOGOMAN!
Leandro Barbosa NBA Logoman 1/4 ($132.50)
Next, how do you top a Logoman? With Logo...MEN!
Danny Granger/Darren Collison NBA Logoman Combos 3/5 ($325)
And what's even better than dual Logomen?
Um...even more Logomen?!!
Thaddeus Young/Elton Brand NBA Logoman Combos 1/5 ($257)
Kobe Anthology Header ($-, cmon who'd actually pay for one of these?)
And just the one printing plate for this box
James Harden 12-13 National Treasures Colossal NBA Logoman Signatures Cyan Plate 1/1 ($21.05)
Perhaps I splurged a little on the plate, but it's one that I HAD to have!
There you have it - my personally hand-collated box of 12-13 National Treasures Basketball - resulting in a grand total spend of:
US$803.89 (blowing out the budget by a whopping $8.89!)
Based on previous sales history, with a bit of luck & much more patience I could've possibly saved around $10-15 off some of the autographs but thankfully everything else pretty much seemed to fall within range of my lowest final sale price estimates.
Unfortunately (given my location) cumulative international shipping was over 20% more than what it would cost to deliver a sealed box of NT here via UPS
Overall it was a fun & enjoyable exercise (may attempt the same for Flawless/Immaculate) and although big compromises to the player selection had to be made due to budget limitations, I feel there are still some solid names there. Anyway, I'm pleased with accumulating a quintuplet of game worn J. Dubya's for what is essentially the asking price of a single box of NT
All cards are PC btw...Thoughts/comments on how you would've gone about completing this challenge are always welcome & appreciated! Thanks for the look
